Electrical connecting means



Nov. 23, 1937. H. A. DOUGLAS ELECTRICAL CONNECTING: MEANS Filed March 5 1934 x/vvz/vrok HARRY A, DOUG-4A5 Patented Nov. 23, 1937 PATENT OFFICE- 2,100,025 ELEo rmcAL oomo'rmq mums Harry A. Douglas, Bronson, Mich assignor to Kingston Products Corporation, a corporation of Indiana I Application March 5,

This invention relates to contact carriers and is an improvement upon the disclosure of my copending application, Serial No. 616,843, filed June 13, 1932, which became Patent No. 1,953,594,

April 3, 1934, whereby such a contact carrier may also perform the function of a line connector.

Among other objects it aims to provide animproved insulating contact carrier having means for engaging a contact member or conductor and member or conductor from the carrier;

The invention is of particular utility in providing a contact carrier for the terminal plug of a conductor conduit, inwhich'the wires passing through the conduit have permanentlyafflxed Qto their-terminations contact members which engage the contact carrier in the form of an insulating cylindrical block carried within a plug shell with detachable means to complete the circuit or circuits therethrough without actually applying the terminal plug to the purpose for which it was designed.

A'more detailed explanation will be given in conjunction with the'accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 6 is a projected perspective view of a plug cap in which the carrier may be received as shown in/Figures 1, 2-and 3 and the circuit continuin connector detached therefrom.

As illustrative of apreferred embodiment I have shown this invention as applied in connection with i a contact carrier such as disclosed in my prior copending application, Serial No. 616,843, filed June 13, 1932, now Patent No. 1,953,594, April 3, 1934, in which a plurality of currentj conductors I, Z-and 3 'each terminating in metallic contact tending bayonet pins 9., To prevent rotation of the block 1 within the shell 8, a radial projection preventing accidental removal of the contact Figure 1 is anend view-inside elevation of a members 4, 5 andii, respectively, are mounted in.

equally spaced apart relation about the axis of a r cylindrical carrier block 'ipfinsul'ating material received in a metallic plugii having radially ex- 1934. Serial No. 714,081

i0 is provided on the block for reception in a similarly shaped recess ll formed in the wall surrounding the open end of the shell. In a contact carrier of this type at least one of the current conductors is connected to a source of electricity, and each of the contact members 4, 5 and 6 project above the flat surface of the carrier block I for engagement with current continuing members when the plug shell is inserted in a socket therefor, not shown; in performing the function for which it was designed. There are conditions under which it is desirable to continue the circuit through the conductors so mounted in'a plug without inserting the'plugf in the said socket.

To this end a metallic cap, i2 which issimilar in shape to a socket designed to receive the plug 8 and likewise provided with bayonet slots i3 for engagement with the pins 9 of the plug is provided with current continuing members adapted. when in engagement upon the plug 8', to continue the current therethrough. The current continu ing members are preferably struck from a sheet of somewhat resilient metal, such as brass, to in-" clude a central substantially- "circular center i5 provided with a plurality of tapered, radial-intey tinuing members are preferably mounted on a disc II of insulating material by passing a rivet l8 through the center-of the disc I! and circular portion ii of said member and upsetting or riveting the metal of, the ends thereof to secure the two together. The disc i1, is preferably snug- 1y received within the capl 2 in contact with the end closure thereof which may be axially bulged outwardly to form a dome iii to avoid contacting the head of the rivet l8, as shown in Figures 2 and 4. Y

The relation 'of the bayonet pins 9. and the bayonet slots 13- is such that when the cap I2 is seated upon said pins, the cap will maintain the insulated current continuing member carrying disc I! at such a distance from the flat surface of the insulating block I that some of the inturned fingers iii will beheld in resilient engagement with-each of-the, contacts-4, 5 and 6, as

through one oi the conductors will be continued through its contact finger IS in engagement therewith and integral portion i5 and then through the other integral fingers I 6 to the other shown in Figure 3, whereby the current entering throughout in resilient engagement with the fiat surface of a terminal, so that in the event of a rotative movement of the circuit continuing member about the rivet -|8 from any cause, the

relation between the fingers and the contacts will be such as to provide that portions of two fingers will be in engagement with each contact, thereby avoiding the necessity of the fine adjustment otherwise necessary to align the circuit continuing member with the conductor contacts.

What I claim is: I

1. An' electrical connecting device,'comprisin'g a body; a plurality of electrical conductors insulatably carried by said body, each having a contact face disposed at one side of said body, said contact faces being insulated from each other; a first cup-shaped member, having its peripheral wall disposed about the edge wall of said body, and having its closure wall abutting the opposite side of said body, said closure wall having an aperture accommodating said conductorsi a second cup-shaped member, enclosing said one side of said body, and having its peripheral wall disposed about the peripheral wall of said first cupshaped member; connecting means, comprising parts respectively carried by the peripheral walls of said first and second cup-shaped members, said connecting means being constructed and arranged to detachably hold said cup-shaped members in assembled relation; an insulating disc, bearing against the closure Wall of said second cup-shaped member; and a plurality of electrically connected spring arms carried by said insulating disc, and constructed and arranged to resiliently engage said, contact faces, so as to electrically connect said conductors to each other.

2. An electrical connecting device, comprising: a body; a plurality of electrical conductors insulatably carried by said body, each having a contact face'liisposed at one side of said body, said contact faces being insulated from each' other; a first cup-shaped member, having its peripheral wall disposed about the edge wall of said body, and having its closure wall abutting the opposite side of said body, said closure wall having an aperture accommodating said conductors; a second cup-shaped member, enclosing said one side of said body, and having its peripheral wall disposed about the peripheral wall of said first cupshaped member; connecting means, comprising parts respectively carried by the peripheral walls of said first and second cup-shaped members, said connecting means being constructed and arranged to detachably hold said cup-shaped members in assembled relation; an insulating disc, bearing against a part of the closure wall of said second cup-shaped member; a plurality of elec trically connected spring arms; and securing means, for securing said spring arms to said insulating disc, the closure wall of said second cupshaped member having a portion recessed to clear the adjacent part of said securing means; said spring arms being constructed and arranged to resiliently engage said contact faces, when said cup-shaped members are in assembled position, so as to electrically connect said conductors'to each other.

HARRY A. DOUGLAS. 

